Final answer:
The pagoda in the image symbolizes material culture, which includes all the physical objects of a society, while concepts like bravery and freedom associated with the American flag represent non-material culture. Material culture includes tangible items, while non-material culture encompasses ideas and values.
Step-by-step explanation:
When looking at cultural symbols, such as a pagoda in an image, we're analyzing its significance in relation to cultural concepts. The pagoda, a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in Asia, is part of the material culture, which includes all physical objects that people in a culture create and give meaning to. It is distinct from non-material culture, which encompasses the ideas, values, and beliefs of a society.
For instance, the American flag is also a physical object and part of the material culture, but the concepts of bravery and freedom that many associate with it fall under non-material culture. These ideas are symbols that represent something beyond the flag's physical form.
Differentiating between material and nonmaterial culture is essential in understanding how physical objects can embody a culture's values and beliefs. For example, a school building is part of material culture, while the educational values it represents are part of nonmaterial culture. Cultural symbols are embedded in rituals to convey meaning and help organize social structures by reflecting important cultural processes.
Cultural sanctions, which regulate behavior within a society, can be seen as societal ways to enforce this shared meaning within a culture. These sanctions are an example of non-material culture influencing and shaping how cultural symbols, including material objects, are perceived and understood in everyday life.